The Why.

O’ Theophilus is the result of a dream – one where Generation Z does not go down in history as the last “Christian” generation in America. The religious influences from Christianity that once permeated the American cultural landscape and even the heart of the country’s existence are seemingly losing their ground in a war-torn battlefield against the ideologies of secularism and postmodernism. While these other ideologies are championed by national leaders and social influencers, the populace has forgotten why Christianity once underlined American thought and has been misled concerning the “weakness” of this intellectual persuasion. The life of history’s most captivating figure, Jesus of Nazareth, and the truth claims of a religion that once resounded throughout the globe have been belittled in America by deceptive voices to mere irrelevant and illogical fiction and fable.

The mission of O’ Theophilus is to provide certainty to believers about the truths of Christianity, the teachings of the Christian Bible, and the life of the Christ. The vision is to cultivate informed, intellectual Christianity in modern culture through clarifying the certainty of Christianity, understanding the philosophy of Christianity, relating the relevancy of Christianity, and equipping the believers in Christianity. As the writer Luke purposed his Gospel book to Theophilus, this platform exists so “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4 ESV).

Welcome to O’ Theophilus.

Who is Theophilus?

In the Christian Bible, the name Theophilus refers to the recipient of the writings of a man named Luke. Two books of this Bible are addressed to Theophilus – the Gospel of Luke and Acts. Both narratives begin with references to this name (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1). As Acts serves as a continuation of Luke’s account in the Gospel bearing his name, the purpose of Luke’s writing to Theophilus is found in the opening words of his first book.  

In Luke 1:1-4, Luke documented that he had attempted to “compile a narrative” of important events that involved him and had been attested to by eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-2). Having investigated these important events, Luke determined “to write an orderly account” for the identity Theophilus (Luke 1:3). What events did Luke write an account for? The rest of Luke’s Gospel and Acts reveal these events to be the life of Jesus and the spread of the early Christian church. Concluding this preface, Luke provided the reason for writing to Theophilus: “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV).

As Luke desired for Theophilus, this platform is built to provide certainty for the Christian faith. For clarity, this website is not supposed to serve as a primary source of truth. The Christian Bible is the foundation of the teachings of the Christian faith. Rather, this platform is meant to come alongside the Bible as a resource. Its purpose is to show the certainty of Christianity by explaining concepts, exploring ideas, sparking further research, clarifying doctrine, and offering insights to a modern Theophilus. Who is this Theophilus? The “Theophilus” is everyone – all people interested in finding certainty for the claims of Christianity. However, as the Christian persuasion fades further from the minds of American society, the heart of O’ Theophilus is to speak to American young people about Christianity, the Christian Bible, and the Christ.

Meet the creator.

Caleb Gordon is the founder and creator of O’ Theophilus. He is an author, editor, and graduate student, studying and writing on matters of Christian faith and practice. He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina.

As an author, Caleb has been published in The RenewaNation Review for a piece on biblical worldview and Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal for book reviews in theological and biblical studies. As an editor, he has supported the Christian Education division of Christian non-profit RenewaNation in its work to promote biblical worldview education and provide resources to schools, educators, and students. His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, where he specialized in biblical studies and biblical languages. He has also served Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity as a graduate student assistant in biblical studies, where he assisted department faculty in administrative responsibilities, provided tutoring services in Hebrew Bible, and guest-lectured in various biblical studies courses offered at the graduate and undergraduate levels. 

In his experience with ecclesial, non-profit, and seminary settings, Caleb has reflected deeply on what it means to identify as a Christian in a postmodern society and how Christians should interact with a culture skeptical of and apathetic to their religious ideals. With a passion for biblical studies, storytelling, and worldview, he dreamed of a digital platform that could work to answer the rising problems of biblical illiteracy and anti-Christian sentiments in American culture. In response to this vision from the summer of 2021, he created O’ Theophilus to teach other Christians how they can engage the world, culture, and other people as loving, faithful, and evangelical ambassadors of Jesus Christ.